The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-18
And They Agree that the Church Has Nothing
to Do with the Matter Until the
Amusements Become Sins.
The Congress Closes with a Discussion
of the Sins of COyetousness.
4 Thoroughly Enjoyable Banquet at the New
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Lord, in that ''the hour thereof no man know
eth" President Holman called the morning
session to order yesterday at quarter after 10,
and the meeting was duly opened with devo-
fional exercises conducted by Rev. A. > Farms
worth, of Cincinnati The discussion of the
Proper Attitude of the Church Towards
Amusements" was then opened by Rev. c. Fl.
Watson, of Arlington, Mass. He is oldish
young man, of bland temperament, and looks
more like insurance agent or a stock-broker
than a minister. He thought that the church
suffering from vacillation between
work and excessive relaxation, and on this prin-
cipal accounted for sensational sermons, excite
ment religion, and what has been called the
''cooking-stovs apostasy." Amusements may be
INDUCED in If not licentious Or corrupt, but not
20 excess. Anything may become injurious if
carried to excess, but the church should be able
to give sound reasons for discontenancing any
amusement The question of indulgence in the
highest class of theatrical performance might be
left open, but the theater in general is against
Christianity. The legitimate drama has been
laid away in its grave-cothes. and been
ceeded by it's frisky sister, burlesque. which is
net grave enough to need clothes. The church
should act a wise physician. diagnosing each
and treating it with reference to all its
surroundings.
Rev. T. T. Eaton. of Louisville followed. He
said that the church had often undertaken
Cesar's work and had always done it so badly
that the world hailed the re-establishment of
Cesar even in the shape of Charles IL There
is danger that the church shall undertake too
much God gives his servants a full measure
of work, and they cannot attend to more than
that we'll. The fact should be borne IN mind
that a thing may be proper for member Of
church that would be wrong for the church. It
was well enough for Paul to be a tentmaker
but il would have been wrong for the whole
church go into the tent-making business
What should be the attitude of the church
towards amusementsl None at all The
church has nothing to do with
amusemenLs 1t is said that men need amuse
ments. Very true; but they need medicine
1t is not the business of the church to furnish
either fun physic. The question of the pro-
priety of an amusement is one for the person.
but when sin masquerades amusement 1t
becomes the duty of the church to denounce 1t.
Amusement and sin are essentially distinct and
should be kept Preaching againss specific
sins should be brief and earnest. The church is
not here TO furnish amusement We the
soldiers of God fighting sin. Punch and Judy
shows are good enough in their way but We'll
lington his way Waterloo cannot stop his
soldiers TO turn the cranks. There is no men
tion any of the episteS in the Testament of
religious restaurant or holy lecture course.
Members of the church ought to take part IN
cety and that young people have proper
nmusements, but the church has nothing to do
with amusements until they become sins.
The place of DR.. Wayland Hoyt, who
absent was taken by Rev. E. A. Wood. Of
Cleveland. He said that too much said of
the sacrifices of those who adopted Christianity
and too little of the sacrifices OF those who re-
ject IL. He considered that the United States
was deficient in public amusements as com
pared with other countries. The attitude of the
church towards amusements shoald be as it
at the first. The church did not legslate
the subject The Bible does not prohibit
mend amusemenrs. Each member of the church
is left free to participate in amusements. but
with the responsibility Of avoiding sin in the
amusements. There are dancing, theater- going
and card playing that harmless, but late
hours bad thoughts and evil associations in
furious anywhere. The rights of conscience and
private judgment are as strong in the church
anywhere else. and the church must not intrude
that sacred ground. The question with a
Chris tian. to amusements should be, do I
want them9 Am l leaving better things to get
them?
The next speaker, Rev. Kerr B. Topper of
Grand Rapids. Mich. is slender young man.
who talks quite welbas some persons of much
greater age. He tool almost the same view of
the question as his Predecessors, though with
different wording. He said the attitude of the
church towards amusements should be one of
friendly encouragement to all amusements not
injurious IN themselves, and not productive of
evil results. The church should assume a posi-
ton of unyiedng opposition to every amuse
rnent that is the least furious in itself or in
its results. The distinction is difficult make.
The fundamental rules few. Amusement
should be a means, not an end: should not
awaken unhoiy passions; should not injure
others. At the close of his remarks the meeting
dismissed with the bened1ction.
The afternoon session opened by deyo-
3ional exercises conducted by Rev. Geo. F.
Leonard, after which the subject of the after
noon was taken up by Rev. j. NJ. Suffer- of the
Grocer Theological Seminary Chester Pa. who
considered the ''Sin of Covetousnessr as defined
In the Scriptures. He is large, fne-looking
man. but too learned for one consider his ap-
pearance while he Is talking. He began with
5isquisition on the significance of the Hebrew
and Greek words equivalent to the English
stousness. and tossed antique and wonderfully
made verbs about in such a way that made many
mouths open and much hair stand end. His
deduction from 1t was that covetousness began
with desire to have for hidden thing, and
ended in Selling it 1t is called lolatry in the
Scriptures because he who is covetous does not
submit to the will of God. and this is the essence
Of idolatry. He suggested that the sin might
well receive more attention from the pulpit than
st does.
no the sin of covetousness as traced in the life
of to day. He is a tall, hne-looking man, with
JUL beard and no mustache. he defined covet
BUSINESS for his purposes, inordinate
greed for wealth. The sin is we'll known in the
church. Some suffer martyrdom every
time a missionary collection IS taken. They
keep the holy Sabbath and everything else they
can lay their hands on. Judgment of men,
however, is apt to be erroneous. The wealth of
many reputed avaricious men is overrated. and
they may De surrounded by circumstances, I'M
known to others. which may make their giving
almost impossible from business stand point.
Still. covetousness is a widely spread disease.
and needs remedy. Covetousness poisons the
most sacred relations The miser starves his
WHEAT least his first wife-and negects his
children Covetousness is the enemy of intel
lectual advancement 1t enters the heart of the |
business man and makes him dishonest. 1t makes
the employer hard-hearted and causes him to |
give his workmen wages that are barely enough |
TO support their existence. 1t causes house |
owners TO rent their buildings for the of |
hquor-sellers- and for other immoral purposes.
Even worse. it enters the heart of the theolo-
gran, and furnishes him with svlogisms by |
which he proves that missionary work might |
better be abandoned; and in that aspect 1t is the
most satanic of sins.
The consideration of tne best method of cor |
fecting the sin of eovetousness was taken up by
Rev Z. ). Henson, of Chicago He said he
thought that he knew what coyetous-
hess was when he came, but he was |